Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 22:21:56 -0400
From: Toby Barnum
Subject: Ya Can't Get There From Here - 2
If you're annoyed by scrolling with your hands full, the sex is in parts 3
and 5.
If you want to get the whole story, start here.
Either way, I hope you enjoy.
***************
PART 1
***************
Over the years the place had changed. They had moved the entrance and
added a few more buildings, but the antiseptic odor and big overhead light
brought him right back to his childhood. Todd's memories were good
ones. He thought it was like coming home as he lifted his ass from the
gurney to the table. He wasn't anxious, just curious and a little chilly.
He'd been through enough surgery to know that he was supposed to be out
of it by now. But he wasn't. He wanted to join the laughter that had
stopped when the wheels on his gurney pushed through the double doors.
By the time his doctor popped in a few moments later, he was ready to
start some fun of his own.
"Now Todd, remember what I told you in the office. This is a piece of
cake. We're going to fix some of the muscles in your leg so you'll be
walking around again. OK?"
Todd nodded. He knew all that shit. Why was this guy treating him like a
retard? Todd worked hard to maintain an attitude of fierce independence
and any hint of condescension usually got a reaction. Unaware that he had
entered the danger zone, the surgeon continued.
"Todd, this is Dr. Wong. He's gonna put you to sleep and watch out for
you during the operation."
The amusement in Todd's eyes was the only thing that gave him away as
he put on what he considered to be one of his finest "innocent" looks.
"Dr. McGreggor, is this the guy you were talking about when you asked
the nurse outside if they gave you the same goddamn incompetent gas
passer you always got?."
Wong burst out laughing with the rest of the room.
"Busted, Shawn. You owe me big time for that one!"
"Shut-up Mike, you're upsetting the patient."
"Shawn, that quivering patient of yours has it together enough to dump all
over you. You just don't want to admit you're no match for this guy even
with his arms strapped down. You're losin' it, buddy."
Todd worked a hand loose and attempted an uncoordinated high five.
Shawn squeezed his shoulder, mustered as much dignity as he could under
the circumstances and made for the door. Wong promised that Todd
wouldn't remember any of it when he woke up. Shawn secretly hoped he
would. This kid could use anything that came his way to brighten up his
world.
The drive back from Maine had been uneventful. In fact it was downright
boring. Shawn was already missing the companionship and easy
familiarity he found there. He had never made a connection between his
marriage and Virginia Woolf. Now comparing it to the way he felt with
Mark, he concluded that his efforts with Marsha had been a lifelong drain.
He had a better use for the energy.
Both Shawn and Mark knew they wanted to continue what they started.
But not forcing it was important. Shawn sighed. That meant a return to his
home and practice.
"Shawn, we're ready for you now."
Shawn automatically cleared his mind as he backed through the swinging
door and prepared to begin. As he was slipping into his gloves, he turned
to his resident.
"Gary, would you fill us in on what's goin' on here with Todd?"
Gary began, using the highly stylized form familiar to every first year
med.
"Todd is a 29 yr old white semi-invalid male who first presented...."
The resident continued listing the specifics of Todd's condition and what
Shawn planned to do about it. When he had finished, Shawn summed it
up.
"In other words, this guy hasn't been able to walk well since he was a
little boy and we're gonna fix that. Any questions?"
Shawn liked a relaxed atmosphere with his team and encouraged
questions. That fact along with his reputation for succeeding where others
had failed drew students to his cases.
A 1st year resident spoke. "But, doctor, I've read the history. Isn't he
gonna need a lot more work before he'll be able to get to independent
living?"
"Yes, Julie, he will. A whole lot. The plastics people are going to do their
part and even the neuro boys are gonna get a crack at it. After that it'll
be
up to the physical therapists."
"Neuro 'boys', doctor?" Julie's tone bore all the earmarks of a Marsha
clone.
Sean found himself remembering that Marsha had been surprisingly quick
to agree that they go their separate ways when he returned. She had been
named managing partner in her law practice the previous week and
Shawn's absence from the scene confirmed her preference for complete
independence. Shawn stayed for a few weeks to work out the details then
moved to his own place before Thanksgiving. Since they were both over
18, the boys could make their own choices as to where to spend their
vacation time. It was all very civilized and logical, like his entire
married
life.
The sound of a pneumatic stocking inflating on Todd's leg brought Shawn
back to the present and he grinned.
"Yup, that's me. Nothing like a little male chauvinism from a Neanderthal
misogynist to spice up the last case before Christmas Eve."
Shawn's humor helped relieve the tension and the team got down to work.
Shawn finished the procedure by 10:00 a.m., discharged a few patients for
the holiday and headed for the office. He planned to wrap things up so he
could arrive in Bangor by nightfall. He would spend the night there and
get a fresh start early Christmas Eve for the rest of the trip. There was
little to keep him in New York over the holidays. The boys were traveling
with buddies and Marsha had her own plans. His partners' willingness to
cover gave him a few extra days to be with Mark. Shawn was not satisfied
with Ma Bell's idea of "reach out and touch". He wanted the real thing.
This Christmas he decided to give Mark what he himself wanted most in
return: his presence, companionship, affection - and a little surprise.
***************
PART 2
***************
Mark spent the entire week getting ready to celebrate Christmas with
Shawn. He hadn't really paid much attention to the holiday since Toby
died. Now things were different. He tuned into a station that promised
carols for the next 24 hrs and started hanging the roping. He began there
so the smell of pine would have time to spread through the cabin before
Shawn showed up. He prepared popcorn and berries for stringing into
garlands and placed fat wax candles in all the windows. He was going all
out to put together Christmas in the woods. Shawn was supposed to get in
by noon to help him finish it up.
By the time Shawn had reached Millinocket he was grateful for 4-wheel
drive. Snow had been falling since I-95 and the accumulation was piling
up.
As he turned onto the final dirt road, Shawn breathed a sigh of relief when
the announcer's voice interrupted Eminem's rendition of White
Christmas. Seems there was a winter storm brewing in the area. Out the
window, however, he saw that the local wind had slacked. Mammoth
flakes were floating down instead of being driven into his windshield. The
break in the white monotony allowed him to appreciate the wall of
evergreens on either side of the road. Gaps in the trees revealed a
fairyland dotted with blotches of grey and brown, little ponds and tiny
rushes of water. Small clearings showed stray fir branches where the
powder had piled up so carefully the height defied gravity.
When the lodge came into view, it took Shawn's breath away. He was
looking at a Stephen Lyman print. Clouds and snowfall had softened the
blue-violet spectrum of a December morning into a lush moonscape. The
smoke curling out of the chimney, the snow dusted logs and the more than
yellow light from the windows displayed themselves with the vivid
unreality of time-lapse photography.
When he drew close enough to see the candles in the windows, he half
expected an apple cheeked, snowy bearded Mark to appear in a homespun
fur trimmed robe cinched at the waist with a rope. Santa Bear. After he
reached the small lot, he parked his truck, grabbed his stuff and went to
the door which was already in the process of being flung open wide.
This particular Santa Bear looked like he just stepped out of Cabela's
outfitters rather than a suburban mall. Shawn settled into the six feet four
inches of wooly embrace that enveloped him and surrendered to its offer
of warmth.
'Bout time ya got here. Work's almost done." He looked at his watch.
"Same time ya got your butt outta bed your first day here."
"Fuck you Hick Boy! For your information, there's a major storm blowing
out there."
"Major storm, my ass! If them flakes don't hurry up, they're not gonna
hit the ground 'till summer."
"I suppose that breathtaking demonstration of your mastery of
meteorology comes straight from the creaks in your ancient joints, old
man?"
Mark slid into his "country hick" drawl.
"Why, I'm pow'rful surprised, you bein' a man of science and all, to see
ya putting any faith in them thar old wives tales. This here's a modern
town, boy. We get gen-u-yne pree-dic-shuns from those smart fellers in
the city." He paused . "Then we ignore em 'cause they're usually dead
wrong....... Boy am I ever glad to see you. Let me look at ya."
They both sat down on the couch to enjoy the warmth of the huge fire and
their friendship. This was brandy weather and Mark was no miser in that
area. They wasted time together with the prodigality of schoolboys on a
Friday afternoon, sharing the recent details of their lives. Somewhere
during the conversation Mark held up his hand.
"There's something I haven't told you about yet, I wanted to save it 'till
you got here."
With that he stood, walked over to his room and opened the door.
"Let me introduce you to my new partner, Wolf."
Out bounded 180 pounds of shaggy coal black Newfoundland Retriever.
He held his tail high as his nose took samples of the new object in his
living room. The animal picked up on Mark's trust and immediately
accepted Shaw as part of his new pack. He snorted, rubbed himself against
Shawn and ran a snout underneath Shawn's hand until it rested between
his ears. When Shawn took the hint and began stroking the animal's fur,
Wolf sat down and chuffed out his approval.
"Hmm", Shawn grinned. "No wonder he likes you. You're two of a kind.
Don't leave a person in any doubt about what you want."
"We only do that with city folk". Mark grinned back. "Seems to work,
too! Now will you let me finish my story?
"I ran into him a month ago when I went out back for wood. He was
hanging around and followed me back to the door. He looked kind of
hungry, so I took him inside and fed him.
"After dinner he curled up at my feet and went to sleep. The way he kept
looking at me, I didn't have the heart to put him back out in the cold. The
only I.D. he had on him was a nametag, so I contacted the sheriff, local
animal shelters and vets to get his picture out to folks in the area. Till
somebody else comes to claim him, this is his home.
"I wanted to make it a good Christmas for him so I picked up a few
things." Mark pointed to a 4 foot pyramid of packages in the corner.
At that particular moment, Shawn found himself overwhelmed by the
appearance of his own shaggy dog. Mark and the dog both had the same
combination of brute strength and warm eyes.
"Ha - this dog's no fool. Got a good nose for character."
Shawn made a show of sniffing Mark's arm. When he reached his
shoulder, Mark lifted his chin and the warmth of his gaze drove out
winter. Shawn buried his face in the smell of home. They held on to one
another in the soft December morning light that competed with the fire
and the silent snowfall.
With a sudden burst of energy, Mark disentangled himself and stretched.
"Up and at 'em city boy, your decorators from Macy's couldn't fit me in
this year. It's up to you and me to finish making this place look like
Christmas. And for that we gotta go outside and get ourselves a tree."
"Hey Moose, since when did a good ol' mountain boy take to
decorating?"
"Since a certain wet-behind-the-ears street kid became a fugitive from the
city, Slick. Things are different this year." He looked at Wolf. "I got
family responsibilities. And ..." he grinned at Shawn "I finally got a kid
my own size to play with."
"Didn't your mama ever tell you, ya can't tell the size of the present by
squeezing the package?"
"Just call me Mr. Whipple. Anyway, who needs to know from decorating.
It's Christmas. You can get as schmaltzy as ya like and yer friends put up
with it.
"Sasquatch, you still got friends?"
"Cum'on Wolf, I think you just got insulted."
As they bundled up, Mark explained that they were going out to cut down
a tree that he has seen a few days ago. They walked side by side, brushing
up against each other while Wolf hopped through the drifts ahead of them
occasionally lowering his muzzle and flipping snow into the air. When
they got too far behind, Wolf would turn and run circles around them
trying to move them along.
"I think he's part Border Collie" observed Mark when they stopped in
front of a tree.
"This it?"
"Uh-Huh."
"It's fuckin' perfect!"
"As I recall, you do much better in that department."
"Not only are you dyslexic, Moose, you're a fuckin' pree-vert! Nothing
you can say is gonna spoil this. I usta dream about going out and doing
this when I was a kid."
"You dreamt about meeting dyslexic pervs in the woods when you were a
kid? Slick, your nanny musta read to you from "Grimm's Weird Fairy
Tales" during your misspent youth.
"My favorite was always the Big Horned Wolf. Come to think of it, still
is. And my youth wasn't misspent, just unoccupied."
Mark's eyes softened and his expression looked like Wolf's. "I know,
buddy. This Christmas we're gonna do every goddamn thing you never
got to do, and I'm gonna be right next t' ya every step of the way. God, I
love you so much it fuckin' hurts inside. I'm soo glad you're here, buddy.
I been missin you."
"Every fuckin' day, Mark. All day. All night. I never stopped thinking
about you. Not once. Thinking about you and that fuck-it-all grin of yours
is what got me through everything."
"Was it tough, man, breaking up housekeeping after all these years?"
"Not really, buddy. Marsha and I are still friends, probably better now.
After last October home wasn't an address any more. It took on the shape
of a 6'4" grizzly that answers to the name of Mark."
Mark's brows, beard and stache were glistening with flakes as they
embraced.
Shawn and Mark spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening
trimming the tree with strings of berries and popcorn, along with apples
and pears. Mark's only exceptions to home-made were the tiny
multicolored lights they hid in its branches. Mark checked the oven every
now and then to keep tabs on the turkey whose roasting provided an
omnipresent olfactory overload. During breaks they warmed themselves
with mugs of steaming coffee spiked with brandy. Outside a Nor'easter
was blanketing the mountainside.
As dinnertime got closer, the smell of fresh bread baking filled the lodge
and Wolf collapsed in a puddle of saliva next to the oven. At last
everything was ready. Candles burned in the windows, oil lamps shone
from the walls, and a fire warmed the hearth. The radio playing in the
background kept good it's 24 hr promise as dinner was served. There was
adoration in his eyes when Wolf was presented with his own heaping
plate. Man and beast alike settled in and began to feast.
***************
PART 3
***************
After dinner, Wolf celebrated the ultimate in canine contentment by
joining the other members of his family for a snooze in front of the fire.
It was midnight when Shawn woke. As he got up to add another log, Mark
opened his eyes and stretched.
"Think Santa came already?"
"Dunno about him, but I sure as hell hope you're still holdin it" grinned
Shawn.
"Ahem, I have a little surprise in that department."
"Oh?"
"It's kinda what I got you for Christmas."
"You went and had it wrapped? Customer service up here sure beats what
we get in the city."
"No, horn-dog, better than that"
"What could be better than that?"
Mark put a finger to his lips. "Trust me."
Mark walked over to Shawn and began to disrobe him. Off came the wool
shirt followed by the jeans and t-shirt. Shawn felt rough hewn hands move
over him. Mark left him standing in a pair of boxers that were inadequate
to hide his growing interest.
"Your turn."
Shawn reciprocated taking it slowly, caressing each part of Mark's body
until they were identically clothed.
"Looks like we haven't lost our locker room etiquette" Shawn smiled
pointing at the boxers.
"I get hot starin' at you in your underwear. Doesn't look like it's getting
in the way of anything - yet" Mark replied.
They stood for a moment to admire each other surrounded by icons of the
season. The hearth, the tree twinkling with lights, candles burning in front
of frosted panes, it was a scene from Currier and Ives. Or would have
been had those two guys ever gotten around to porn.
They moved together and embraced. Shawn stepped back, reached inside
and drew Mark out through his shorts. At its tip Mark's dick had a crystal
bead sparkling red in the firelight just like an ornament. The slit in
Shawn's boxers was almost too small for Mark's hand, but he managed to
get Shawn out into the open. He slid Shawn's skin back to moisten his
head. They took up their favorite position inside Mark's hood and got
comfortable. Held together by Mark's beefy paw, they slid around
pleasuring one another while their mouths touched until each man gave
himself up to white hot desire.
Mark took Shawn's hand and husked "Follow me".
When they arrived at the back door, Shawn stopped.
"I don't recall filling out an application for the polar bear club."
"Just shut up and look outside."
Shawn followed a pointing finger and saw a bubbling hot tub with steam
rising above the snow.
"I had it installed last week as a surprise for when you came up. With the
weather and all I was afraid they wouldn't get it finished in time."
"A hunting lodge with a hot tub. What are your regulars gonna think?"
"I'm gonna change the name to Mark's Hunting Spa and Bait Boutique.
Then I'm gonna triple the rates."
"That ought to go over big time with the red necks"
"Hey, watch it with the 'red neck', Slick."
"Sorry Moose, I lost my head there. Refined red neck! - better?"
"Much."
They discarded their shorts, opened the door, ran and leapt into the tub
sinking beneath the frothing waters. The sensation was incredible, crisp
flinty air against the steaming bubbling water. The storm had passed and
night was etched in frozen crystal over the forest. Wispy clouds
relinquished the sky to the icy brilliance of stars.
Mark turned to face Shawn. Like dolphins they slid over one another, their
touches feather light with buoyancy. Stiff organs and sacs, floating with
unaccustomed ease, teased each other in their own private ocean. They
played, unsheathing each other in the surf. They touched and held, their
bodies musky and warm. Like returning travelers, each revisited his
favorite spot on the other's landscape and probed its depths. Need drew
them together in the swirling water as they sought a union that physics
denied them. Mouth pressed to mouth, tongue mating with tongue, chests
compressed by encircling arms, their hips slid against one another in a
Bolero rhythm. They whirled around each other's rising pleasure
submitting with sweaty abandon. Just before the brass burst into the wild
beat to signal the finale, Shawn drew back his head and whispered "My
god I love you." Like salmon arriving at the apex of their journey, they
released their sperm into the roiling water and rested.
They allowed the water to flow over their bodies reviving them, bringing
them back to awareness.
"Let's continue this inside."
***************
PART 4
***************
Back in the warmth of the firelight, they toweled one another. Wolf made
amends for his initial sulk at being left inside by enthusiastically licking
the water from their legs and feet. After roughing his fur, Mark led him to
one of the vacant rooms and closed the door.
"I don't want to embarrass him. After all he is from Maine. I think he's
Presbyterian."
They both stretched out in front of the fire, secure enough in one another's
presence to remain silent for awhile. Then Shawn drew himself up on one
elbow.
"Hey Moose breath"
"That's what I missed the most these past few weeks, the tender
endearments."
"Ok, Ok, so I saw the antlers and jumped to conclusions."
Mark's large paw slid into the brush on Shawn's chest.
"I wanna tell you about what I hope is a Christmas present."
"You hope?"
"Yeah. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it so I figured I'd ask first."
"Shoot"
"How would you feel about my opening a small clinic down the road from
here?"
"I'd bust something on purpose just to get in."
"Hold on to that thought for later."
Mark ignored the comment and pulled Shawn's head over to rest against
his chest and encircled him with a paw.
"You sure about this? I know I want you bad, but isn't it kinda soon to
make such a big change in your life. It's not that having you close
wouldn't make me onna the happiest guys in the world. I'm just scared
that you'll regret it after doin all that work."
"If I go ahead with this, it's gonna take a lot of planning and time before
I
make the move, so I wouldn't be rushing into it. I've been thinking about
doing something like this for a number of years now. I'm not really happy
with what I have to do to practice medicine in the city."
Again, Shawn found it really easy to unload everything with Mark. He
was like an older brother and best buddy all rolled up into one. He poured
out his disillusionment and his hopes. Mark listened with a critical ear
helping him test his plans against reality.
"Mark, I'm certified in trauma and reconstructive surgery. I figure on a
small trauma clinic. I think I can interest some of the local talent to help
staff it. Besides offering services to the communities around here, we
should be able to make ends meet with business from the hunting, hiking
and skiing crowd in the wider area. I could still consult at the University
Medical Center to keep my hand in, and probably provide a practicum for
residents who either like the outdoors or plan to be ski bums."
"Sounds like you got all angles covered, Slick. So when ya movin up?"
"Actually I couldn't manage anything until a year from now at the earliest.
Before I get into that, though, I need to get a local bear permit."
"Bear permit?"
"Permit from the bear I'm lying on. How do you feel about this?"
Although he masked it with humor, Shawn had never put himself on the
line like this for anyone before. His heart was pounding as he waited to
hear what Mark would say.
"Buddy, I got everything I ever wanted for Christmas and every other
holiday on a mountain last October. I let you become a part of me. My life
has never been happier. Wherever you go, I want to be with you, I want to
help you, care for you and let you care for me. I want to let you in to see
all of me, even my rough edges."
"'till death do us part?"
"I want to be with you even after that, buddy, even then."
***************
PART 5
***************
As they moved to close the gap between them Mark spoke.
"I got myself checked out. No STD's and I haven't been with anything but
my hand for over ten years."
"Same here. Everything's negative. Last time Marsha and I had sex was
before Josh came along. Other than you, there hasn't been anybody else."
"Great, 'cause I want to feel what you're like with nothing in between."
Looking at Mark reflected in the red of the firelight, Shawn got playful.
"Tonto, Kemosabe want red dick."
"You got it, paleface"
They came together now with a sense of familiarity as well as desire.
They were slower, having shed the urgency they felt outside. This time it
was not so much exploration as retracing favorite lines on a sculpture.
They grew thick with musk and slick with excitement. This drug
combination, concentrated oil of male, began to have potent effects.
Measured breathing gave way to shallow panting. Urgent growls of rutting
animals forced their way through tense vocal cords.
"Me this time" escaped from Shawn as he lay on his back.
Mark took himself in hand figuratively and literally. Tenderness broke
through lust as he saw the deep pools in Shawn's eyes and plunged. He
stroked himself and transferred what came out to Shawn. A liberally
coated finger slid inside.
"Marrrrk! ....fuck! ...... buddy!....... don't stop. That feels sooo good."
Mark grinned in silence as he added another finger. This time it was
Shawn's hand that harvested the slickness of Mark's efforts and
transferred it to Mark's probing fingers. Mark added a third. Finally, Mark
pulled his skin half way down and slathered his dick all around Shawn's
entrance, pumping out more.
Mark waited just outside Shawn for a second. Shawn responded by sliding
his hand up the shaft and moving Mark inside. Supporting his weight with
both hands and legs, Mark waited for Shawn to adjust and loosen. When
Shawn nodded Mark began his slide.
Shawn was babbling "Deep inside buddy.......ah shit! ... Fuuuck"
Shawn was gripped and surrounded by Mark's power, his laborer's body,
the force of his determination. Then he felt Mark touch a part of him that
sent waves pulsing through his body. He started breathing in gasps as
Mark's hand reached between them to stroke Shawn, sliding the slick skin
in time with his piston moving inside. They lifted higher and higher and in
a shuddering moment, like a wave cresting before it breaks, they gave
themselves one to the other and released their seed in strength and terrible
beauty.
***************
PART 6
***************
At the end of the week, on the day he was leaving, Shawn got a call from
Social Services at the hospital. His patient Todd was ready for discharge
but had nowhere to go. His mother died during his stay.
"You can't just throw him out into the street."
"Medicaid won't cover another day here."
He could feel his temper rising. This was one of the things he hated about
practicing medicine.
"OK Check the goddamn rulebook. You find me a pretty diagnosis that
will buy us some more time and I'll sign it. Hell, if it comes to that, put
it
on my tab."
"My job description does not include the practice of medicine, doctor"
"Come off it, Carol. You know and I know this is the only choice we've
got."
"Just bustin' a few chops on my favorite chauvinist, Shawn. I'll do it. But
one of these days we're gonna get caught."
"You mean somebody else knows about you and me in the linen closet?"
She hung up.
"What was that all about?" Mark looked curious.
"Patient on Medicaid. 29 yr old kid who was mauled as a child.
Mark froze for a second. "Just like Toby."
"Mark, this kid's name is Todd. He's lived in the Bronx all his life."
"I know, I know. The similarity just caught me off guard. How old was
this kid when it happened?"
"All I know is that the injuries have been around for awhile. Problem is
the fuckin' bureaucrats at Medicaid want him out now. And, wait till you
hear this one. Kid's mother died while he was in there so he has no place
to go. You think they fuckin' care? By the time we get through all the
fuckin' red tape, this fuckin' kid will be living in a fuckin' cardboard
box." Shawn pounded his fist against the wall in frustration.
"Didn't you just buy more time?"
"Yeah, but only a few days at most. The kid won't be on his own by then.
He needs rehab and then more surgery."
"What kind of rehab?"
"Nothing complex. He could actually do some of the stuff at home, if he
had one, and if he had someone who knew what he was doing to help. A
whirlpool would be nice. Imagine getting fuckin Medicaid to pay for
that?" Shawn snorted.
"Hold on. What do you mean he needs somebody there who knows what
he's doing? Like a doc?"
"No, a Physical Therapist. He needs passive motion to keep him loose.
And he needs to practice using the new setup of muscles I put together."
"You mean like with weights and stuff?"
"More like with pulleys - but yeah, that's the general idea."
"Look Shawn, I know a guy who runs his own PT office not too far from
here. He has the equipment and he owes me one. I can move the hot tub
indoors. Todd could stay here. As long as you tell Pete, the therapist, what
he needs, I'll make sure he gets there every day."
"Mark, you've never met this kid. I happen to think he's pretty spunky for
just surviving what he's been through, but this is a big commitment. I
don't even know if he'd agree to come up. He's pretty big on
independence."
"Will you at least talk to Pete and see if it might work. Would you at least
ask Todd? Please?"
Shawn moved closer to Mark and held him.
"Buddy, this could tear you up. It's not Toby. You need some emotional
distance. And Todd needs it too. You attract strays, you big-hearted slob,
not that you'll ever hear me complaining about that. I just don't want to
see you come apart."
"Shawn, how about this. Why not let us try it out for a week or so. That'll
at least get him started. If it doesn't work out, it'll be like a short
vacation
for him. At the very least you'll get more time to work something in the
city."
"You really want this, don't you. You're like a dog with a bone."
"Good point! Wolf can help too. Don't you docs know that animals speed
up healing?"
Shawn held up his hands laughing. "OK, OK. Let me run it by Social
Services. Put me in touch with Pete. I'll try to put something together and
present it to Todd. We can give it a try. But at the first sign this is not
working, we pull the plug. No arguments. I don't want to lose a patient
and a buddy at the same time."
"Would you believe me if I told you you'll never regret this?"
"The check is in the mail?"
"Hey, I never came in your mouth!"
"There's still time." Shawn grinned.
******************
Thanks for your comments! It's neat getting to interact with people who
share similar fantasies.
Toby